How To: Make Your Own Willow Branch Structures

Recently, as you may have noticed, we've had willow branch structures on the brain. Last week we wrote about The Willow Farm's beautiful fences and tunnels, and then we featured willow play structures as part of our childrens' gardens post. Well, one notable willow-branch adornment we forgot to point out is the shade pergola from the Sunset Modern Cottage, an overhead screen that connects two small cabanas into one larger house. Inspired by this beautiful feature, Casa Sugar put together a helpful how-to for those who would like to try this at home...

The clever method Casa Sugar has devised is inspired by a traditional building technique called "wattle," which involves weaving together building materials in a lattice. To replicate the technique with the willow branches, you will need to hammer a series of narrow posts into the ground and then weave the flexible branches around the upright posts. Visit Casa Sugar for a helpful, detailed set of step-by-step instructions.

If you've got patience and are good with your hands, you could conceivably use this technique to build a larger willow structure, like an arbor, a fence, or even a tunnel. Arranging the anchor posts in different shapes could yield some interesting results. Has anyone tried this?